Right, I’ve got tubeless rims and tyres all ready to go. Got some Specialized ‘Airlock Tire (bloody yanks) Sealant’ but the guy in Evans reckons I’d best use a garage power air pump, rather than just my trackpump. Is this right ? And is it just for the initial installation ? Do I pour in some sealant, close the tyre up, spin it, add air ? NOT spin it til some air is in ? Will my little mini pump be okay on the trail still ? Or do I need to plot my rides round garages ? Help me….please

Have a look here – it’s pretty good practice for all types of tubeless

http://www.notubes.com/detailed_kit_instruction.aspx

it varies from tyre to tyre, some are easy (go straight up with a track pump) some can be right bitches and take for ever. If you break the seal to the rim on the trail i doubt you would get them inflated again with a mini pump and you will need to put a tube in.

this is what i do and it works for me;
1. put one side of the tyre on.
2. pour in the sealant. (around 70ml)
3. put the other side of the tyre on.
4. using a small brush apply some sealant all the way round both sides of the tyres beads to create a seal between the tyre and rim.
5. pump like **** with a track pump to get the air in fast and don’t stop till the beads are fully seated. ( this is usually signified by the tyre making a pinging or popping noise)
6. spin the wheel.
7. there is no need to carry a track pump or plan rides round garages just take a spare tube and your normal inflation device. ( i find a co2 type inflator works best but a normal pump will do)
8. go for a ride!.

hope that helps.

Cheers guys. UPLINK – reading that link I started to lose the will to live – well to go tubeless anyway ! No doubt it’s what you SHOULD do but does anyone REALLY do all that ??
MMB – don’t you use the ‘soap and water test’ at all ? Your way certainly sounds simpler and more like what I was expecting.
What do you reckon UPLINK ? Is this what you do / did ? I guess it all gets easier after you’ve done it a couple of times ?

Just put my summer tyres on today (apologies for the weeks of bad weather that will now insue). I just pop on the tyres dry blow up with track pump (look demented at this stage) to 55 to hear the bead snap on. Take out valve core. Attach stans syringe an put in 2floz. Add core and normal riding pressure. Spin tyre round and flat either side to seal it all pup. Sorted. No mess. (bonty tubeless rims with Michelin dry 2 now and panracer ust in winter.

Garage air hoses won’t work cos they use the pressure of the hose pushing on the valve to start the air – so it just pushes your valve into the tyre. You need an old style air hose that has a trigger if the track pump doesn’t work.

1: Fit the tyre WITH a tube – leave it overnight, pumped up
2: Deflate the tyre – carefully take out the tub so one side of the tyre remains seated.
3: Lather the tyre sidewalls with washing up liquid and water mix
4: Remove valve inner core (so you can get more air in quicker, assuming you have the tool to remove the core)
5: Fit track pump and pump like mad – the unseated bead will ping into place
6: Hang tyre from something and remove track pump. Make sure the beads remain seated.
7: Pour in sealant via valve hole. Screw in removable valve core.
8: Slosh sealaant round the tyre a bit.
9: Pump up tyre with track pump.
10: Spin tyre.

The above works for me with non tubeless tyres on Stan’s rims with yellow tape – Maxxis, Schwalbe, Specialized and Bontrager.